Bulletproof Dukes
by Candylovin Fehrian
Summary: The Dukes avoiding bullets is familiar. But what happens when one of the biggest gunproviding crimelords is after them?
1. First victim

_**A/N Well, I'm back! If I don't write, I get withdrawl-signs, so here's the story I promised y'all. A short chapter to start off with, but don't worry, the next ones are already written. I just have to think of a plot yet... Kidding, I've already formed one in my head, now if I could just get it on paper. Anywaya, I'll stop boring ya with my jibber jabber, and get to the story. Enjoy!**_

**Bulletproof Dukes**

1.

**Folks, if y'all haven't noticed it, the General is standin at Cooters Garage, again… An' if ya look real well, there's a few holes in it that don't belong there. But we all know how those got there. Another day avoidin bullets for the Dukes.  
This time, they was caught between Roscoe an' a low life criminal who had wanted to shove a robbery into their shoes. Luckily Roscoe saw who was doin the shootin, an' arrested the bad guy. An' no one was hurt, well accept for poor General Lee…**

"Ya think ya can fix it Coot?" Bo Duke asked the jovial mechanic from where he was watching Cooter's progress, working on the car.

"Bo, that's like askin Miss Tizdale if she fancies yur uncle Jesse. I've got it fixed before ya can say Roscoee P. Coltrane," Cooter announced, imitating the local sheriff perfectly.

"Roscoe?" Bo's high pitched voice came from above the car Cooter was currently lying under.

"Well I was jus' figuratively speakin Bo," Cooter mumbled, sticking his head out from underneath the car, just in time to see the real sheriff walking into his garage.

"Yeah Cooter," Luke grinned, "Roscoe P. Coltrane… So, are ya finished fixin?"

The laughing ended however, when Roscoe's infamous giggle reached their ears, meaning he was about to be a pain in their behinds, and both boys stood there, muscles strung like gazelles ready to bolt.

"Kew, kew, you boys done it this time!"

Luke, always ready to jump in the defense started to protest, "We ain't done nothin wrong Roscoe, an' you know that!"

"Hush! I ain't here ta arrest ya, but maybe that would be best, cause we've got a little bit of a problem…" Roscoe mumbled.

"What are ya talkin about Roscoe?" Bo asked, fully confused right now. Roscoe not trying to arrest them? Something must be wrong.

"Well, remember that crook I arrested this morning?"

"The one tryin' ta shoot us an' almost wrecked the General? I think we remember im Roscoe, what about him? He escaped or somethin?" Luke asked, he was as confused as Bo now.

"Or somethin… Err, I mean, Enos checked him out, an' he appears ta be a real big crook." Roscoe trailed off. "He ehh… he works for Hardware Harry…" Roscoe ended, afraid to look up at the boys by now.

Bo and Luke both swallowed hard, while Cooter looked at them, not entirely grasping the situation.

"Maybe I ain't followin it, but who the heck is Hardware Harry?" he asked, seeing the nervous looks on the three faces in his garage.

Luke answered him, "Hardware Harry is the biggest gun provider in the county, heck in the entire south. An' he's also the meanest, most dangerous crime boss of the country."

This time it was Cooters time to swallow, "An' y'all kinda made him angry by bustin' one o his employers taday, right?"

Roscoe nodded, but he still wouldn't look at them. Luke noticed this, and a nasty feeling settled itself inside his stomach.

"Roscoe? Yur keepin somethin from us, what is it?" he asked slowly.

"The guy we caught, Bullet Benny, his real name is Ben Black. As in, the son of 'Hardware' Harry Black…"

Now three people in the tiny garage swallowed hard. Bo and Luke looked at each other, and both knew what was about to happen.

"He's gonna come after us, ain't he Luke? He'll want revenge, an' he'll want ta take his son back…"

Roscoe interrupted Bo, "That's big fat bad luck for im, cause we've already got plans ta transport Benny ta State Prison tamorrow." Roscoe giggled.

"I jus' came ta warn y'all, cause Enos thought that maybe Hardware Harry might come after ya. So, consider yurselves warned… I'm gone,"

And with that Roscoe turned around, leaving the garage, but not before walking headfirst into a pile of tires, and tumbling to the ground. As he clumsily climbed to his feet and dusted himself off they could hear him mumble again. 'Dang tires, I should cuff em an' stuff em for bein in the way…'

But even Roscoe's antics couldn't force a laugh out of the people who were still standing in the garage.

"What are we gonna do Luke?" Bo asked, his voice nervous as he thought about what had happened to the people who had ever interfered with Harry… Bo remembered the only time they had met the fella, an' that was during their undercover operation on the Nascar circuit. Harry was so big in the crime world, he was released hours after all the big crime bosses had been arrested. That's when he had heard the stories. Stories about people being found with an entire hardware store inside of their bodies, holes covering them. Bullet holes…

Shivering a bit, Bo watched Luke's thoughtful expression. He knew what that meant, a plan was formulating itself inside his cousins head.

After a few tense and completely silent seconds, Luke snapped his fingers, making Bo and Cooter duck, as they thought it to be gunfire.

"Bo, ya want ta be a sittin duck, waitin for them guys ta come an' get us?" Luke asked his younger cousin, knowing what his reaction would be.

"Heck no, I say we take action, cause I don't wanna end up with more holes in my body then the ones I already got. I'm mighty glad with my body like it is…" Bo replied, sparks lighting up his babyblue eyes, giving Luke the sign to go on.

"Well, here's what we're gonna do: Tamorrow they's gonna transport Benny to State Prison, so we know Harry's gonna be there. All we gotta do is make sure Harry don't get his son out, an' get the proof he's behind it, so they can arrest him for it."

**Don't that boy make it sound soo simple? I wonder how all o this 'll work out in real life, cause that Harry fella is slicker then a snakes belly…**

"That sure sounds good cuz, but how are we gonna make sure of that?" Bo asked, completely trusting his cousin, but needing to know more.

"We take Daisy's camera, an' we follow the State Police as they pick up Benny. Hopefully Harry and his goons ain't camera shy when we catch him springing out his son. Further more, we try ta stay out of sight, so we can jus' deliver the pictures to the FBI," Luke explained to Bo and Cooter, who were listening intently.

"An' if all goes well, Hardware Harry will be behind bars, an' we're home free. With no one tryin ta fill us up with bullets…" Luke trailed of, feeling like someone just walked over his grave. A slight shiver worked itself up his spine thinking about the things Harry had done to several men whom betrayed him. After their undercover operation on the Nascar circuit, one of the FBI agents had showed him some pictures of Harry's victims which made Luke feel sick to his stomach.

Clapping his cousin on the shoulder, Bo turned to Cooter, "I say let's do it. What can go wrong?" he said, his voice sounding optimistic as he looked from Cooter to Luke, who was also looking a little better now.

Cooter was the only one with a frown marring his face. Something didn't feel right, but he buried that feeling. Like always, things would work out for the Dukeboys, he was sure of it.

**Friends an' neighbors, don't y'all think that sayin things like that is a bad thing, considering the Dukes? I don't know about y'all, but I'm holdin on ta my seat, cause this sure as heck is gonna be a rocky ride.**


	2. Keeping em safe

A/N I'm not gonna bore y'all with my ramblings this time, so... Enjoy!

2.

That night, silence reigned the Dukefarm.  
Bo and Luke had decided not to inform Jesse and Daisy of their current predicament, something they were not used to. So instead of animated talking during diner, silence ruled the diner table.

**Ya know, them Dukes can never keep a secret from one another, so either them boys tell Jesse, or I will…**

Daisy looked up from her crawdad bisque, only to find Bo and Luke facing their plates, playing with their food. Turning towards their uncle, Daisy noticed his firm gaze on the boys.

**But y'all haven't forgotten Uncle Jesse is as sharp as an angered rattlesnake when it comes to them boys don't ya?**

Clearing his throat, Jesse firmly put his fork down on the table, causing the two boys to flinch. He noticed the look they gave each other, but chose to jump in anyway.

"You boys gonna keep watchin' yur food or are a ya waitin for it ta walk off of yur plates?" Jesse asked good-naturedly. He knew something was bothering them, but he also knew they were most likely to talk when he buttered them up a bit.

Finally two heads popped up, and Jesse could see a tinge of fear in Bo's baby blue eyes, while Luke's sapphire blue eyes where darkened as if he was worrying about something. Those looks could only mean one thing… Trouble.

"Now you boys gonna tell me what's wrong, or do ya want me ta pull it out of ya?" Jesse asked softly, no anger in his words, just love.

Daisy watched the scene unfold. It was kind of familiar for her now, since the boys had had this little routing with their uncle for years. Something would happen, sometimes their own faults, sometimes something they had no control over, but it was always something bad. So they would decide to keep it from her and Uncle Jesse. But they would always find out, always.

Luke looked at Bo, and nodded slightly, Jesse and Daisy had to know. So Bo started to talk and told their uncle and cousin the entire story, including their plan for tomorrow.

Uncle Jesse let it all sink in and nodded once while Bo and Luke sat their, waiting for their uncle's wrath. He did not appreciate being left in the dark…

"Well, you boys 'll need a good night sleep then… Yur excused," he said finally, getting strange looks from his nephews.

"Ehhh, uncle Jesse," Luke said, "Are ya sure? Maybe we should keep watch or somethin, that Harry fella might try somethin' tanight…"

Jesse shook his head, standing up from the table and walking over to his shotgun. Grabbing it he walked towards the screen door. He turned for a minute, looking lovingly at his family.

"He won't be tryin' anythin' tanight, cause I'll be waitin' for im. So you boys go to sleep, rest, and take care of that lowlife tamorrow," he said, seeing the understanding in his nephews eyes again.

Sighing he walked to the front porch, taking a seat, planning on keeping watch all night. Letting his thoughts drift to those boys of his, he smiled. He would do anything for them, and they knew it. But they would do it in return to, and he felt proud of them. They would always try to protect their family, but now, it was time for Jesse to protect them for once.

Jesse knew who Hardware Harry was, he had had the displeasure of meeting him one time. During his shine-runnin days, Harry was just a little thief with a knack for guns and selling them. But Jesse knew the dark side behind him. The mean and uncaring side. When Jesse met him, on a shine run, his eyes were dark, no lights in them, just darkness. And it had scared Jesse. As a God fearing man, he had seen the depths of hell in those evil grey orbs.

So now, he was gonna sit here and keep his boys safe. Cause now, he could still do something. Tomorrow, they were on their own, but Jesse knew, that whatever happened, he would be there for his boys, always…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

In the meantime, Bo and Luke were undressing in their bedroom. Pulling his shirt over his head, Luke looked outside with a small smile on his face.

"Hey Bo?" he asked with a slightly melancholic tone to his voice.

Bo, who was in the middle of pulling of his shirt could be hear mumbling, "Yeah?"

"Remember when Uncle Jesse whooped us for drinkin' some of his shine when we was little?"

Smiling a little Bo nodded, "I sure remember that Luke, we couldn't sit for a week… Why do ya ask?"

Shaking his head as he saw his uncle sitting outside, shotgun ready for use if somebody would enter their property, Luke just smiled.

"No reason, jus' realizin' how he's always taken care of us, even when we didn't always think he did."

Bo nodded, as he flung himself onto his bed, "Yeah he sure did a good job, an' ya know what? He's still doin it…"

"Yeah, cause we still need it," Luke chuckled as he threw his covers back, stepping into his bed a little more careful then Bo did.

Both Dukes fell into silence as they pondered their relationship with their Uncle, their caregiver, their father figure as well as the day that lay ahead of them.

"Hey Luke?" Bo asked, after a while.

"Yeah?" Luke answered, just like Bo had just minutes before.

"Ya think things 'll work out tamorrow?"

The silence that followed that question hung heavily in the air, and Bo couldn't help but feel a shiver run up his spine. After five minutes he heard Luke sigh as he turned towards Bo.

"I honestly don't know Bo, but I do know we's gonna do our very best ta get that fella, so we can stay in one piece…"

Now it was Bo's turn to be silent for a few minutes. And when Luke thought Bo had already fallen asleep, he hear the small whisper coming from the bed next to him.

"Thanks for bein honest cuz…"

And those were the final words being said on the Dukefarm that night. Sleep filled the small farm, while Jesse kept watch on the small porch.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The early morning sun peaked through the small window, caressing the faces of the two sleeping figures. One of them twitched as the light reached his eyes, turning around to seek comfort in the soft pillow he was holding.

The other figure slowly opened his eyes, stretching refreshed limbs as he threw his covers off of him. He shuddered when his bare feet touched the cold hardwood floor and a small yawn escaped his mouth.

Trudging over to the other bed, the early riser knew what to do…

"Bo, wake up, it's time ta git ready," Luke said, talking as loud as he could, without waking Daisy or Jesse.

When Bo just snuggled in deeper, while mumbling something about the middle of the night, Luke chuckled. This called for desperate measures.

With one swift movement Luke pulled off Bo's covers, letting the cold morning air do the rest.

So after reaching blindly for covers that weren't there, Bo Duke cracked open one eye. A few seconds later, the other followed, immediately forming a scowl on his face.

"Luke Duke, ya had ta wake me like that?" he asked sleepily.

"Well it was this or the bucket of water standin' outside…" Luke answered, quickly ducking away from the flying pillow which was aimed towards him.

Turning around again his facial expression had sobered.

"We've got ta git ready Bo."

Hearing Luke's serious tone of voice, Bo remembered what they were going tot do today. They were about to take on Hardware Harry…

Sitting up quickly, Bo's scowl was now replaced by fear.

"What are we doin' Luke? We's talkin' bout one of the biggest crimelords of the country, an' we wanna take him on? What were we thinkin…"

Shaking his blonde curls, the panic started to rise, and Luke knew he had to put a stop to it right here and now. Grabbing his cousins shoulders, Luke looked him straight in his baby-blue eyes and spoke with a firm voice.

"Bo, listen ta me, we've done things like this before. This 'll jus' be the same ole thing, an' you know it."

Seeing the fear fade away from Bo's eyes Luke knew he had gotten through to him. And even though he was kinda nervous himself, he made sure he seemed calm from the outside.

Clapping Bo on the back, he urged him to get up.

"Come on, let's git dressed an' see if uncle Jesse got some sleep."

Both Dukes got dressed and washed up quickly, and by the time they entered the kitchen, Daisy was already making breakfast and uncle Jesse was sitting at the kitchen table.

Both boys ate their breakfast, not really tasting it, just eating so they could get on their way.  
And after doing their chores and checking Daisy's camera, they were about to be on their way.

As usual, Jesse and Daisy hugged them, telling them to be careful. And as if he felt the tension in his boys, Jesse held the boys just a second longer, gruffly telling them to get back to him in one piece, cause when it came to it, they should be more afraid of him than of Harry Black…

And with those loving goodbyes, the boys were on their way. The words of their kin still ringing in their ears, giving them a boost of confidence, which caused them to relax enough to chatter along during the short ride.

As Bo drove the General into some shrubs, hiding it from plain view, the waiting started.

"Ya think they'll be on time?" Bo asked Luke, who was watching through the binoculars, trying to see if the escort was coming yet.

Nodding slowly he put the binoculars away, "Knowin' Roscoe an' Enos, they'll probably be right on time. An' if I'm right, Harry and his men will be waitin' for them on Millerroad. It's the road furthest from civilization, so if they wanna try somethin' they 'd do it there."

Bo absorbed the information again. His stomach felt queasy, like always when him and Luke where in a tough spot. Yet, this time, his queasiness felt worse, pulling on his insides, making him quiver.

But as Bo heard the rumbling in the distance, he forgot all about his nervous feelings, like always. Grabbing the binoculars, he watched the two patrol cars following the dark blue van, which most likely contained Bullet Benny.

Turning to Luke, Bo spoke, "They're here…"

"Well let's go then!" Luke said with more bravery than he actually felt at the time.

Bo pulled out of the shrubbery, staying as far behind the escort as possible. It didn't take long before the escort jerked to a stop, causing Bo to jump on the brakes of the General.

"Phew, that was close," he breathed, as Luke silenced him with one finger.

"Let's git out, and take a closer look, if we wanna take some pictures, we hafta be closer…"

Both Dukes climbed out of the General, Luke taking Daisy's camera, while they slowly made their way towards the halted escort.

Raising his hand, Luke stopped them and they squatted down behind some bushes, a few yards away from the escort.

Another car had stopped in front of the van, smoke filling the area, making it hard to see.

Bo was nervously peeking through the branches, while Luke snapped pictures of the men coming out of the grey sedan.

Seeing the fire arms the three men were holding made Bo swallow, hard. It wasn't until the fourth stepped out, that he finally realized what they were doing, and who they were spying on.

The man, completely dressed in black, a hat on his dark hair and sunglasses hiding his eyes, scanned the surroundings before turning towards the van, which was now being opened by the third goon. The other two were making their way over to the two police cars, keeping Roscoe and Enos in their seats. The guards from the van were already subdued, cuffed to the doors of their own van.

Sitting in those bushes, Bo looked at his cousin, snapping pictures of Harry and Benny as if he was capturing a day at the park. But when he looked closer, he saw the beads of sweat rolling from Luke's forehead, dripping down very slowly, until they reached his chin and fell from his face onto the ground below them.

Mesmerized by the dripping he was startled when all hell broke loose before their very eyes. It all happened so fast, Bo would never be able to tell what exactly happened. He could only watch as the scene unfolded itself.

All of a sudden Roscoe stepped out of his car, ignoring the demands of the thugs, who had ordered him to stay there. The sudden move spooked the three men holding guns, as they spun around, guns drawn.

"You! Stay there, and don't move unless we say so!" the thug closest to Roscoe yelled, looking rather nervous.

Roscoe looked plain scared, his eyes nervously going from one bad guy to the other. They rested on the man in the black suit, who was softly talking to the former prisoner.

Roscoe's eyes continued their journey, trying to find something he could use to stop these fellas. When he saw a mop of blond hair behind one particular bush, he slowly focused…

There it was! One blond head, and a brown one… And just as it all clicked in the sheriff's mind, their eyes met.

The warning glare from Bo and Luke turned to fear when they clearly heard Roscoe yell out, "Dukes!" in a surprised voice.

Immediately two men went over to Roscoe, cuffing him to his car.

"Shut up, ya stupid hick!"

A sigh of relief escaped the two mouths hiding behind the bushes as Luke hurriedly took the film out of the camera and stuffed it in his pocket. The relief, however, was short-lived, because in a sudden change of atmosphere, they felt eyes rest on them. And it didn't feel like the sheriff's. These eyes brought chills to their spines.

Dropping the small camera, both Bo and Luke slowly lifted their heads, only to look in the coldest grey eyes they had ever see. The eyes of…

Hardware Harry.


	3. A meeting ya won't forget

_**A/N Wow, I made it! I had a very boring weekend, so what do you do when you are bored? Yep, write! I haven't checked it after writing, so there can be some spellingmistakes in it... Ah well, too bad, I just wanted to post it this evening, especially since this is an exciting chapter, if I may say so myself... Anyways: Enjoy!**_

3.

**Friends an' neighbors, weren't y'all waitin for this moment? It was clearer than Hazzard pond that somethin' like this would happen. Now we's hafta wait an' see how they get out of this one. But the answer ta that question is even murkier than Hazzard swamp… **

The two heads raised from the bushes, their arms coming up with them, as Harry trained his silver handgun on them.

"Well, well, what have we got here?" He drawled out in a slick voice, the slight rasp in it making him sound like an angered wolf.

"Ehh, well see," Luke began, only to be cut of by the hand forcefully grabbing his arm, and pulling him out of his hiding place.

"Git out!"

"Easy, we're comin already," Bo peacefully added, seeing how his cousin was trying to formulate a plan while they were being led towards the van, and Benny.

Hiding their faces was useless, as Benny's eyes widened and he slowly lifted his finger to point at the two newcomers.

"Tha- that's th-the fella's that g-g-got me a-arrested father!" he stuttered, the excitement getting the best of him.

"Silence, son," Harry rasped, "Now, would you boys mind tellin' me what you are doing here, watchin' us from those bushes?"

Shaking his head, Luke tried to think on his feet, but deep down, knew they were busted.

"We was just birdspottin' sir. Blacktails are nestin this time a year, so-"

The fist landed against his jaw, sending him tumbling backwards, while Bo jumped forward, only to be held back by one of the goons.

"I don't like bein lied to boy, so either you tell me what you two hicks are doin here, or your blonde friend here eats a bullet," Harry threatened, pointing his personalized handgun at Bo's head.

Shaking off the dizziness which followed after the blow, Luke slowly dusted off his jeans while standing up to face the criminal pointing a gun at his youngest cousin.

Standing close enough to the man to see the thin scar running along his jaw, Luke's cold blue eyes pierced the other man's grey ones. And in a low voice he said, "I told ya, we was just takin pictures of the landscape, and then we stumbled upon yur little operation here."

Bo's eyes widened at Luke's ability to sound so sincere, even when he was still lying through his teeth. But still… He knew Luke would make things alright, and fear was far from his mind right now, even as the gun was still trained on him. Harry's mind and eyes were elsewhere.

"So ya make some pretty pictures of me an' my boy over here?" he asked in a sweet tone, not at all sounding like he meant it, "I heard you were the ones who got him arrested. So I think we can catch two birds, or should I say blacktails, with one stone here fella's," the laugh escaping his mouth was one neither Bo nor Luke would ever want to hear again. It sounded cold and heartless, with not an ounce of goodness in it. It sounded evil…

With one swift movement Harry backhanded Bo with the pistol, almost making him fall sideways, if the goon hadn't been holding him so tightly.

Bo however, soon stood ramrod straight again, letting the small trickle of blood fall from his lip as he looked Harry in the eye.

"Yur not gettin' away with this Black, we's gonna make sure of that," he said, sounding more courageous than he actually felt at the time.

The twinkle in Harry's eye however, did not fade. Instead, the gleam seemed to get more intense.

"Is that a challenge, boy?" he asked, glaring directly into Bo's baby-blue eyes, sensing the fear he was feeling deep inside.

Bo could only swallow.

In the meantime, Benny had walked over to the bushes, found the camera and was casually strolling back to the figures next to the van.

"L-look what I found dad! I-it's their camera!"

A smug smile came over Harry's face as he silently ordered his son to throw it in the air. Not a second later two loud bangs crackled through the air, sending pieces of camera flying around.

As Luke's eyes followed all of this, he did his best not to smile. This man, one of the biggest crime bosses of the country was dumb enough not to look for a film? This was going to be easy…

Catching Bo's eyes, he knew his cousin was thinking the same. Now they could scheme a way out of this.

And while Harry and Benny were laughing about the broken camera, the two Dukes conveyed a silent message, with Bo knowing exactly what role to play.

Waiting for the moment Harry turned his attention back to them, Bo suddenly bent over, moaning as if in severe pain.

Luke immediately started yelling, "My cousin! Somethin's wrong with my cousin!"

Chaos ensued… And Roscoe and Enos made sure there was more, cause at the same time the Dukes sprung in action, the two lawmen had managed to start their cars and made their way out of the firing line, and probably into town to get more help.

Hitting his goon in the head, Luke knew the guy was down for the count, as he made his way to the other goon. Like a quarterback he threw his shoulders and head in the other man's stomach, throwing him off balance, causing the thug to fall down and hit his head on a rock. Out cold…

While all this was happening, Bo, who had been bowed over with pain, suddenly shot up, kicking the gun from Harry's hand, and head butting the goon holding him from behind. After that he saw stars, but he knew he had to move, fast.

Luke noticed Bo swaying after his little head to head with Harry's goon, so he took his elbow and the two of them broke out in a run. The thumping of their feet as their long legs carried them as far away from the scene as possible, was the only sound that could be heard. They were just about to disappear into the trees when a shot rang out, bursting though the air, causing one Duke to come to a swaggering stop. The other stopped not long after, horrified at what he saw when he looked back.

A beautiful, yet gruesomely red flower seemed to be blossoming from the man's shirt, growing bigger every second, staining the yellow material.

The world seemed to slow down, going in slow motion. Bo's widened eyes found Luke's, showing shock and amazement, the pain not completely registering.

His mouth moved soundlessly, and even if he had made a sound, Luke's roaring ears wouldn't have heard it.

Slowly, Bo's legs seemed to be losing their strength as he sagged on one knee. At that time, time seemed to speed up again, and Luke found his limbs to be working again, running back towards his fallen cousin.

"Bo!" came the guttural cry from the eldest Dukeboy while he reached for the youngest.

Bo had a feeling of being completely lost. One minute he was running for his life, the next minute, some force slamming into his body stopped him. For a second, there had just been adrenaline rushing through him. But a moment later, the most excruciating pain he had ever felt slammed into his torso.

All of a sudden his legs stopped supporting him, and somewhere far away he heard Luke scream something. But the ringing in his ears was too loud, too annoying. He just had to lay down…

"Bo!" Luke called out again, kneeling down next to the bleeding form of his cousin. His hands started roaming, as Luke tried to remember his basic training from the Marines and leave his emotions buried for now.

Putting pressure on the exit wound, he slowly turned the shaking man on his side, eliciting a moan of pain from him.

"Good, good. Bo? Can ya hear me cuz?" he asked, hearing the crack in his own voice.

"Luke?"

A sob fought its way to the surface, but Luke blocked it. Now was not the time, they had to get away from here. They were sitting ducks for Harry now.

"Yeah buddy, I'm here. Just keep breathing, okay? Keep breathing for me…"

Bo slowly nodded, he didn't know if he could, but for Luke, he would try.

Taking of his own shirt, Luke tied it around Bo's body, hoping to stop the blood flow for now, as they made their way into the forest. They could hide there for now.

"Bo? Ya think ya could stand if I help ya?" he asked, knowing time was running out.

Bo didn't acknowledge Luke, but he tried to sit up, moaning loudly as he felt the fire raging inside of him.

Luke put one hand underneath Bo's shoulder, supporting him, the only way he knew how. And soon the two Dukes were standing, one half carrying the other.

"Alright," Luke coached, "Now just walk Bo, that's it cuz, just keep walkin…"

And so very slowly, the two Dukes made their way into the forest, hoping to outrun Harry, and praying they would find help.

Bo, slouched against Luke, could only concentrate on every next step, while Luke kept glancing back, every time expecting to hear another shot or see the dark suit of the criminal who had just shot his cousin.

His mind was working on overtime, as silence fell between them, only Bo's shallow gasps for breath invading that silence.

"L-luke… I… Sorry…"

At the uttered words, Luke looked up from his thoughts into the frightened eyes of Bo.

"Sorry? I don't understand Bo, it's not yur fault. If I wasn't…" he stopped when he saw Bo shaking his head.

"Not what I meant…" he gasped, stopping for a minute, leaning heavily on Luke. Pain-filled eyes rested on guilty blue ones.

"Sorry for tryin' ta catch that Harry guy," he coughed, as he gave his cousin a slight grin.

Luke didn't know if he was going to laugh or cry. He knew it was his fault He had talked Bo into this, he had made the plans. He…

"Luke, not yur fault. Harry…" Bo muttered, scowling at the pain he was feeling and the person behind it.

Sighing a little, Luke knew Bo was right.

"Yur right Bo. An' he's gonna pay for it. Now… How ya feelin? Wanna rest for a minute?" he asked. Seeing the pale look on Bo's normally tanned face was scaring him.

Bo nodded absentmindedly, and the two slowly sat down against a tree, careful not to make too much noise.

Looking down at his midriff, Bo winced at the blood.

"Daisy gonna be mad at all that blood cuz…" he said, hoping to lighten the mood a bit, despite the pain dulling his senses.

"Yeah, well, I think she'll be happy enough we both git back alive ta forgive ya… Now, how ya really feelin Bo?"

"R'member when Billy Crane convinced me I could fly of the barn with chicken feathers taped to my back?"

"Ya broke both yur legs an' yur arm that summer an' I had ta wheel ya around the farm ta keep ya entertained," Luke chuckled, despite the situation, "Yeah I remember."

"Well, now I feel even worse…" Bo groaned.

Luke sobered up immediately, his hands finding the makeshift bandage he had bound around Bo's midriff.

"Yur lucky the bullet went right through," he murmured, hypnotized by the amount of blood staining both their shirts right now. "Ya havin' trouble breathin?"

Bo breathed in and out, and slowly shook his head, "No, just this burning feelin, like a bullet went through my body…"

This time, joking around wasn't working on lessening the tension, and Luke softly pressed on some spots on Bo's torso.

"Yur darn lucky cuz, from the looks of it, nothin' vital is hit, but I ain't sure, so if ya feel worse, or the pain is getting worse, ya have to tell me, okay?"

Bo was amazed, he never knew Luke knew so much about medical things.

Seeing the look in Bo's eyes, Luke started to explain.

"Ya see lots of things like this in 'Nam. I've seen worse…" he trailed off, for a moment reliving the deaths of some of his comrades.

Swallowing loudly, Bo got Luke back to the real world.

"Cuz, I feel a little better, maybe we should keep on walkin', cause personally I want ta git as far away from that Harry guy as possible."

"Okay," Luke answered, his mind already forming a plan, "We'll go to the old Indian cave east of here, we stay low for a couple of hours, he'll never find us, by then hopefully we'll be able ta git ya to the Judson house before dark…" looking at the pale form of his cousin, he hoped he could hold on that long.

Getting up again, the two Dukes started walking, hearing some gunshots in the distance, they doubled their pace. Harry was still following them…

**Ooh boy, when them Dukes look for trouble, they really find trouble, don't they? Let's hope them extra holes Bo didn't want, are the only ones bein made taday… Y'all don't go to the fridge now, ya hear?**


	4. Live together, die alone

**_A/N A very short chapter, but I wanted to get this bit up before Christmas... It's kind of an in between chapter, so no more shooting... for now... Mwuahahaha. I'm evil aren't I?  
Anyways, I wish everyone a peaceful and very Merry Christmas! Bells jingling in the background... _**

4

The rhythm of breathing was his sole focus for now. In… Out… In… Out…

Next to him he felt concerned eyes rest on him as the two made their way through the thickening forest. They had walked for about a half hour now, and Bo felt like he couldn't set one step anymore. His vision was blurring and something inside of him was pulling in a rather painful way. 'Yeah Bo, that's what a bullet does to ya', he thought dryly.

Hearing his cousin gasp every now and then, Luke knew he had to hurry. The caves weren't far gone now, and as soon as they got there, he could give Bo the rest he needed, so he himself could leave a false trail for Harry and his thugs.

Gripping Bo's shoulder a little tighter, he spotted the caves.

"Come on, cuz, we're almost there. Just a few steps, you can do it…"

Seeing the shapes of the Indian caves in front of him, Bo would have whooped for joy, hadn't it been for that hole in his body. He could still feel the warm blood oozing slowly, and knew that that wasn't good. Still, he walked. Step by gruesomely hard step…

Huddled together, the two Dukes set foot in the old cave.

"Luke," Bo panted, his hand going to his damaged torso, hoping to relieve some of the pain, "I never thought I'd be happy to see this old thing…"

"Yeah, I know what ya mean cuz," Luke muttered, carefully placing Bo against the painted wall, near the old campfire, the previous visitors had left.

Looking his cousin over, Luke knew the hours he needed, were not given to them. His plaid blue shirt, which had served as a makeshift bandage, was soaked. And even thought the blood flow was minimal, the walk to the caves had probably done the damage already.

Raking his hands over Bo's pale and clammy head, he found a fever there, as he sighed slowly.

Sensing how Luke was assessing the situation, Bo let it happen. He noticed Luke touching his head, but was to tired to make a remark. He watched though. He watched the tension in Luke's body, and he cringed as Luke slammed his fist against the stone wall.

"Ya blamin' the wall now?" Bo asked, knowing he had to lighten things up right now. Things didn't look so good, and to top it all, he didn't feel so good…

Laying misty eyes on Bo, Luke knew what his cousin was doing, and he hated himself for it. If it wasn't for him, they wouldn't have been in this situation.

"It's just… frustratin…" he answered, shoulders sagging while he started a small fire.

"Yeah, tell that to the fella with the hole through his body…" Bo grimaced.

Turning around, Luke bound the shirt tightly around Bo's chest, trying to stop the flow of blood for now. He had to know Bo was alright while he…

"Luke?" Bo's voice was almost childlike now.

Looking up into the baby-blue eyes, the eyes he had known his entire life, the eyes that had always had admiration and faith in them when they looked up to him, Luke knew what he was gonna do wasn't right. But he had to…

"You ain't leavin me here are ya? We's just gonna lay low for a couple of hours, and git to the Judson farm, right?"

Placing one hand on Bo's shoulder, Luke looked at him, with all the strength he could form right now.

"I'm just gonna be away for a short while, we gotta make sure they don't find us here. So I's gonna leave em a fake trail, okay?"

Bo knew Luke was only being smart, and doing the right thing, but his fevered mind didn't let him be reasonable. He just didn't want do be alone, or… die alone.

Gripping Luke's hand tightly, his glassy eyes found Luke's clear blue ones as he silently pleaded with his cousin.

"Ya make sure ya git back soon, okay," was the only thing he could make out right now.

"I will, cuz," Luke choked out. He felt so bad right now. You weren't supposed to leave someone behind, was the first rule he learned in the Marines… But you're not in the Marines right now, his mind told him. You're going to be back soon, just setting a fake trail, nothing more…

Then why did he feel so bad? Why was his stomach doing flipflops, and why was his throat constricting every few seconds?

Seeing his bloody cousin, he knew why. This was his baby cousin, the one he was supposed to protect, and now he was leaving him…

Squeezing Bo's hand one more time he quickly stood up.

"I'll be back within 30 minutes, you hang on, okay?"

Bo could only nod, as he saw his cousin move out of the cave, and into the forest. He let his tired eyes be drawn to the fire, letting them rest there, he would count the minutes, and wait for that damn pulling sensation in his belly to go away…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The town of Hazzard was peaceful this afternoon. Uncle Jesse was just standing at Miss Tizdale's counter, when two police cars fishtailed their way into the courthouse's garden, horns blaring.

"What in tarnation…" Jesse mumbled, leaving a blushing Miss Tizdale standing with his mail in her hands, as he made his way outside.

"Call State Police! Call the feds! Call the president! Boss!!"

Roscoe was in a frenzy, and Jesse wondered why he was still sitting in his car, when it was clear he was in a hurry to get to Boss.

His big toe ached, as he noticed why the two lawmen were still sitting in their cars. Handcuffs kept them there. And they had been there, Harry… Trying to ignore his big toe, Jesse signalled for Cooter to bring some tools to get them out.

He hurried over to Enos, asking him what happened.

"Ow uncle Jesse!" Enos' high pitched voice sounded shrill in the silent surroundings. Well, except for Roscoe's ramblings about thieves and thugs.

"Calm down, Enos, jus' tell me what happened?" Jesse calmly asked the deputy, while Cooter cut him loose from his car.

Standing up, Enos turned towards the man he respected most in the entire community. Taking of his hat, he looked down.

"Uncle Jesse, those bad guys stopped us, cuffed us to our cars, an' they had guns, lots of guns, and…"

"Easy there Enos," Cooter interrupted, "Ya gotta keep breathin' now.

Taking a deep breath, Enos continued, "Well, they saw Bo an' Luke, an' they shot their camera ta pieces, but they ran uncle Jesse!" Enos stated happily.

"That's when Roscoe an' me got away. The boys were fightin' with them thugs, an' when I looked back, I saw em runnin'. I ehh," he trailed off, "I jus' don't know if they really got away uncle Jesse… I'm sorry…" Enos ended, looking down ashamed now.

Putting his elderly hand on Enos' shoulder, Jesse reassured the young man, "That's alright Enos, I's just glad you's alright… Them boys o' mine always land on their feet ya know?" he giggled a little, the tension leaving his body, for now.

In the meantime, Roscoe had made his way into the office, letting Boss know their convict had escaped.

Everyone standing outside could hear the enraged yells coming from the chubby man inside where Roscoe was getting the tongue-lashing of his life.

Five minutes later, the State police had been contacted, who promised to send more men to help catch the criminals.

Jesse was sitting with Cooters as they heard the news.

"I don't like this uncle Jesse… Ya reckon we do some research of our own?" he said, grinning through his worried frown.

Jesse nodded, deep in thought. His toe was still aching, and when that toe ached, nothing good could come out of it.

"I reckon we git to that woods an' find them boys, let the State police do what they's gotta do, an' we'll do what we's gotta do. Git them boys back home…"

Nodding, Cooter helped Jesse in his towtruck before climbing in himself. Within seconds they were of to the place Harry had been seen last…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o


	5. Promises kept?

**_A/N First of all: Happy New Year everyone! I hope this year brings you lots of good things, and ofcourse Inspiration!  
Second of all, I read about the Lavinia VS Martha discussion, and since I've only seen episodes where they refer to Lavinia, in my story, it's Lavinia. Anyways, hope you'll like this chapter, enjoy!_**

5

_Deep in the woods of Hazzard_

"Goddamnit!" Luke hissed, immediately biting his tongue. He was glad uncle Jesse wasn't here to hear him, cause no matter how old he was, he would have received a whooping for those words.

The branch which had hit him in the face seemed to taunt Luke, tickling his neck now. Standing up straight he remembered why he hated these woods since he was a little boy. The trees seemed to overhang, blocking out the sun, making the forest look like it was grabbing for ya. And if they didn't grab ya, they hit ya in the face…

Luke chuckled a little. He remembered when him, Bo and Daisy had dared eachother to stay in these woods for one night. Him and Bo had been home before the sun had started to go under, while Daisy had casually strolled out of there the following morning. Bo and him had been so in awe of her for two weeks. That is, until they discovered she had simply stayed with a friend living on the edge of the woods. She never heard the last of it…

Shaking his head, Luke reminded himself at the task at hand. Carefully he used the branch to wipe out any traces of him and Bo. Hopefully leading Harry and co in the direction hé wanted.

The guilt he was feeling lessened a bit as he thought about the days events. He still knew he had to protect his cousin better. It was a promise had had made a long time ago to someone no longer among them. And Luke never broke a promise… While wiping the ground with the branch and making new tracks, he remembered that night clearly…

_FLASHBACK_

The room was dark and musty. Sickness seemed to have taken over the room, creeping of the walls and onto the people in there.

Luke knew things were bad. His uncle was silent and the twinkle in his eyes had dulled. And even though Luke was only twelve, he knew it all had to do with his aunt.

For weeks now, she'd been coughing and sleeping a lot. And today... Well today things seemed to be even worse.

Entering the room, he saw her. The normally vibrant woman, who had taught him to ride a bike and helped him climb the big tree behind the farm, was lying on a bed, unbelievably thin with a grey look on her face while her eyes looked like they could pop out any minute.

At first, Luke was scared. That wasn't his aunt… His aunt had rosy cheeks and was a little chubby with shiny darkbrown hair while shades of grey started to lighten it up.

Mentally he had shaken himself. The person lying in that bed was still his aunt. And seeing her slight smile, he hastily made his way to the bed, grabbing for her hand and holding it tightly.

"Aunt Lavinia…" he started, but his choked voice wouldn't let him continue.

"Is alright baby," she hushed him as he bowed his head on the bedspread, letting a few tears leak through his eyelids.

"Please don't go," he pleaded softly, not knowing what else to say.

"Ya know I don't wanna go son, but the Good Lord needs me ta be with him. An' I can't disappoint the boss now can I?" she quipped, hoping to get through to the distraught boy she considered her son.

The slight nod she felt, calmed her. Somehow, she knew he would be alright. Their kids had always had a way of getting back tot heir feet after a tragedy…

Their kids… She had always considered them theirs, even though they weren't. And now that she was leaving them, she just had to know they would be alright.

"Luke," she whispered, causing the young boy to look up with a tear-stained face.

"Honey, ya hafta do somethin for me… Yur gonna be the oldest, an' Jesse is gonna need yur help on the farm a lot more from now on… But I know yur gonna make me darn proud. I just wanna…" pausing for a minute, she noticed Luke was absorbing her words like a sponge. That was her boy…

"I want ya ta take good care of yur cousins… Daisy's gonna be eleven soon, an' even though she can stand her own, she'll always need someone to look out for her. And Bo…" smiling a little, Lavinia thought about the youngest Duke in their household. The eight year old was like a tornado, always running though the house and stumbling into trouble.

"Bo needs you to look after him. Ya know how he always jumps in headfirst, no questions asked. Just…" cough, "Just take care of him, protect him like ya've always done…"

The words seemed to etch themselves in Luke's brain. He knew his aunt wouldn't be here for long and he was going to keep the promises he made her.

"I'm so proud of ya son, just keep makin' me proud…"

Nodding vigorously Luke clasped his aunt hand, "I will aunt Lavinia,, I promise…"

He had kissed his aunt one last time and had left the room. It had been the last time he had seen his aunt alive. That night she died in the arms of her beloved husband…

But Luke had never forgotten the promise he had made that day.

_END FLASHBACK_

And until this day, Luke felt responsible for his cousins. And even though he knew the shooting wasn't his fault, he should have stopped it. Should have seen the gun, should have run faster…

_Thud…_

The bullet ricocheting of off the tree next to him made him duck as fast as he could. Flying bark hit his body, showing him how close the shot had been.

Looking around, he spotted two figures, not to far away from him.

Well, he thought, his plan had worked, maybe a little too good…

Ducking as low as possible, he made his way into the shrubbery, letting them swallow him.

**Folks, let's hope them bushes are as thickheaded as some of the Dukes are, cause them bad guys look mighty angry…**

_The cave_

He seriously needed to pee…

The thought hit him, when he was watching the fire die down in front of him. A slight chuckle bubbled up in his throat, causing spasms of pain to flare through his abdomen.

Sitting up against the cold cave-wall, Bo cringed. Luke's shirt was now dark-red, and he knew he was loosing blood all the time. It was a strange thing to feel your juices flow out of you that slowly. Somehow he almost couldn't find the strength to keep his eyes open. But he had to!

He knew Luke depended on him to keep himself alive for now. And even though eternal sleep sounded pretty good at this time, he knew he could never disappoint his cousin. What would his cousin think when he came back and saw Bo lying there, cold and stiff? Bo knew Luke would never forgive himself, and somehow, that thought gave him the strength to stay awake. For now…

He tried to remember how long Luke had been gone now. It must have been longer then an hour. The sun was almost gone now, and Bo knew they had to find help soon. Somehow he couldn't see himself make it through the night. The thought didn't scare him though, somehow it seemed hollow, just like his body felt, hollow and light. He felt like he was on the outside looking in. And boy, he didn't like what he saw…

Rubbing his eyes slowly, Bo tried to focus on the cave-entrance. Luke had to be back soon. He promised… And Luke never broke a promise.  
So Bo just sat there and watched, his thoughts jumbling though his head like butterflies on a warm summer day.

The warmth of the fire was slowly dying down, ember floating through the cave. 'Ironic'. It was the only word Bo could think of right now. The fire dying out, his life-force dying out…

Sagging down a little again, Bo finally let his heavy eyes drift closed, only to open them again as he heard a rustle followed by footsteps.

Blinking away the blurriness and the grey edges, he squinted as he looked at the legs standing in front of him.

"Luke?"

"Yur gonna wish it was…"

The strange voice caused Bo to look up, and all of a sudden, he noticed the black boots and the prison-garments.  
Fear coursed though him, adrenaline giving him the strength to speak with a high pitched voice.

"B- Benny…"


	6. Making my way back to you

_**A/N Since I've left all of ya hanging with the previous chapter, I decided to git my butt into action and write the next one... So here it is. I apologise for being such a Cliffy writer, but hey, that's what I like in stories, so that's what I do in mine. I'm just a sucker for angst... And ya won't be dissapointed, cause guess where this chapter is gonna end?? Yup, another cliffhanger... Anyways, lots of action in this chapter, so please let me know what ya think about it. Enjoy!**_

6

**Folks, if ya just tuned in, yur in for a rough ride. Cause while Bo an' Luke was tryin ta catch the biggest crime boss of the south, things also went kinda south… Bo got himself a new hole, an' is laid up in a cave, now in the company of the bad guy's son. While Luke is runnin' from the big bad guy himself, who seems ta be lookin' for a Duke ta put more holes in…  
I ain't sure if I even wanna know what happens next. Y'all tell me when it's over now, ya hear…**

Large hands came down on the man's shoulder, knocking him out immediately. His hands were immediately being bound around the nearest tree, rendering him incapable.

No sound could be heard during the entire scene, and Luke was pretty thankful for his marine training at this moment.

The thug was out, and now he only had Harry to get to…

Immediately after Luke had entered the bushes, his mind started up again. He did not want to be the hunted. And how did you stop being the hunted? Yes, you became the hunter…

And without any weaponry, except his pocket-knife, Luke knew he had to be inventive. Peeping from his hidden spot in the thick bush, he had noticed the two men split up. That was their first mistake.

Their second mistake was that they did not have any means of communication. So now that thug one was out, Harry would be easier to get to.

Circling around a large tree, Luke felt like a predator, hunting for its prey. His mind was on autopilot. No thoughts of family or hurt cousins filled his mind. He worked on instinct now, the same instinct he had trusted on in the jungles of 'Nam.

A small sound to the left of him, made him stretch his neck a bit. Listening intently, he distinctively heard footsteps. The top of a head could be seen just a few feet away.

'Yur too close Harry, too close' Luke thought, before slowly creeping behind the man.

Just as Luke was about to jump the older man, a small branch snapped underneath his feet. Knowing he had to handle fast, Luke didn't hesitate and jumped the man, who was just about to turn around, gun drawn.

The first thing Luke did, was knock that silver handgun from Harry's right-hand. It went flying into the bushes, and gave Luke a fair chance of winning in hand to hand combat.

However, because he had been so focused on knocking away the gun, Luke had no time to react on the meaty fist flying through the air, catching him in the midriff. With an 'oompfh', all air disappeared from his lungs as he doubled over.

He reacted fast though, kicking his foot out at the man's left knee. Harry gave a cry of pain when the booted foot crashed into his knee, but did not waver. He had not grown up on the bad side of town only to be overpowered by this farm boy.

His two free hands grabbed Luke's dark hair, pulling his head up, while Luke buried his hands in the man's fore arms trying to loosen its death grip.

"You think yur tough, don't ya farm-boy," Harry snarled, his scar standing out in his reddened face. His once neatly combed hair was now out of place, as a sweaty lock hung in front of his eyes.

"Well, I can take ya down just as easily as I did that friend o' yours. He bled ta death already? I aimed ta kill him, but heck even I miss sometimes…"

Luke could only feel disgust for this man, as he did something he had rarely done since being caught in 'Nam. He spit in the man's face.

In the moment of confusion, he felt the grip on his hair weaken, and he wrenched himself loose, only to take a step back and massage his throbbing head.

Harry wiped the saliva from his face, only looking madder now.

"I see I shot the wrong one, yur even feistier then that blonde one… I'm gonna enjoy killin' ya," he said as he lunged at Luke, who was ready for him.

Throwing his shoulders in, he caught the older man's attack easily and threw the guy over his shoulder.

A sickening thud could be heard as Harry Black landed head first against a large tree, and lay there motionless.

Panting slightly, Luke stepped a bit closer, seeing how Harry was really out. The bump on his head explained a lot…

Using his pocket-knife to create some sturdy rope, he did the same thing to Harry as he did to the other guy. Tied him to the tree, and left him there. He would tell the police where he had left them later. His first priority now, was Bo.

Giving a silent thanks to the huge tree that took Harry out, Luke realized he had found a new respect for those large entities.

Luke turned, and made his way back to the caves as fast as he could. Somehow he had a bad feeling running through his stomach, and he prayed he found his cousin alive and breathing. If he didn't…

A shudder ran through him at that thought, and he just ran harder…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_At the cave_

"Benny?"

"Expectin' someone else plowboy?" the convict drawled, no sign of stuttering apparent.

With cloudy eyes, Bo could only look at the man standing in front of him.

'Great,' he thought, 'Now I don't have ta worry bout dyin' of that gunshot-wound. Benny 'll take care of me his way…'

A hand grabbed at his collar, yanking him up from his safe haven on the floor of the cave. Pain immediately flared up in Bo's body, exploding in front of his eyes, causing him to grip at Benny's overall.

"Now now, I don't want that hillbilly blood all over me," he giggled, "git yur filthy hands off of me!"

He threw Bo across the cave, satisfied when he heard the thud his body made as he landed, hard. Pacing along the cave, Benny looked at the curled up form lying at his feet.

"Yur not so tough now, are ya boy?" he cackled, noticing how the other man's pain filled eyes narrowed at his words.

"I…" Bo scraped his parched throat while Benny seemed to listen intently, "I 'll always be tougher th- then you…" he spit out, blood leaving his mouth at those last words.

Benny just laughed.

"How yur big strong muscles gonna help ya now huh? Yur weak and pathetic, can't even git up on your own two feet," he tortured with a big grin on his face.

Somehow, Benny had envied those boys when he got to this little town. That was the first reason why he made it look like they had robbed the Hazzard bank. They were everything he never was. He was skinny, and pale. He had stuttered his entire life, especially when his father was around. They were different, farm-boys, with a loving family, good looks and muscles from all the hard work. They were the guys who got the girl. He was always the one who the girls laughed at. Well, he had made them stop laughing though. Without teeth, it was hard to laugh…

A hysteric laugh bubbled up in his throat, escaping in the cave, where it seemed to bounce of the walls, making Bo shiver.

This guy was crazy.

Sitting up slowly, Bo knew he still had one ace up his sleeve, and Benny would find that out real soon.

Benny was done laughing. Like a good boy, he had played with his prey, tossed it around a bit and whacked it a few times. Now it was time to finish it off. Reaching behind his back, his eyes suddenly bulged. There was nothing but air…

"How? I musta…" he mumbled, searching the floor around him, only to land his eyes on the wounded man in front of him. Suddenly he saw the gleam come back in those pain filled blue eyes.

"What's the matter Benny, lost somethin? Maybe I don't need my muscles. My brain's enough for now," Bo said slowly, showing Benny the thing he had been looking for.

When Benny noticed the gun in the other man's hands, he swallowed hard. The only thought going through his mind, was how his father was gonna be mad as hell…

"W-what? W-w-when?"

"Ya gotta keep payin' attention Benny," Bo said, as he slowly and agonizingly got to his feet, keeping the gun trained on the man in front of him.

Sweat poured down his face, as the darkness seemed to be beckoning to him. And even though he knew he couldn't carry a gun, he also knew that if he didn't point it at Benny now, he would have been dead for sure. If he could just keep him covered until Luke came back.

And as if the angels where listening he suddenly heard the blissful sound of his name being called.

Luke was on his way.

Only, in that fateful moment, where Bo's eyes were on the caves entrance, Benny saw his chance and sprung into action.

Jumping the already wounded man, the two struggled for the gun. Bo held a death grip on it, knowing that if he let go, he would die, and maybe Luke too. He wasn't gonna let that happen.

Adrenaline shot through him, keeping him upright, and in those moments, there was no pain.

His eyes met Benny's and he knew the same thoughts were running through his mind. They were not going to let go of the gun.

With eyes locked on eachother, the struggle continued…

_Outside of the cave_

Luke ran as fast as his tired legs would take him, and when he saw the cave, he felt relief wash over him. Bending over, he gulped in some much needed breath.

Calling out to his cousin, he knew that if they could get to the Judson farm fast, everything would be alright.

He was coming closer to the cave, when he thought he saw movement.

He was only ten feet away when all of a sudden a gunshot tore through the air.

And suddenly, those ten feet seemed like ten miles, cause in the pit of his stomach, Luke knew things had just taken a turn for the worst…


	7. Sacrifice me

_**A/N Okay, I think I found my rythm again. I'll try to update once a week from now on, cause I think this story is gonna be a long one. I've still got loads of ideas running through my head, so why not use them, huh? Ow, and thanks for all the kind reviews! I wanna tell ya this every time, cause they are the reason I keep on writing! Well, and ofcourse the fact that Dukes rule...  
Now, I'll just let ya git on with the story... Enjoy!**_

7

When Jesse and Cooter arrived at the scene where Benny had been freed, it was already swarming with Special Forces.

Two men were sitting in a squad car, handcuffed, and looking generally mad.

"They musta caught them already Uncle Jesse,"

"I ain't yur uncle Jesse," Jesse responded, only to continue immediately, "didn't Enos babble bout three goons?"

Cooter nodded, "So we know there's one more, an' then there's Benny an' Harry…"

Scratching his head, Cooter looked around, "So where are they?"

Jesse's eyes wandered over his surroundings, noticing some tracks leading into the woods. Grinning up at Cooter, Cooter knew the old man had a plan. 'Bo an' Luke sure were a chip off the ole block…'

"We's gonna find out Coot. We's gonna find out…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

An hour later, the two men were just resting next to a large tree near the Indian caves, when a single shot rang through the air. Birds flew up, and shouts could be heard from the other way.

Deep brown eyes met icy blue ones, and as one man Jesse and Cooter turned an ran for the direction they knew the shot had come from…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The cave entrance seemed to loom in the distance. Beckoning him to come in and find the body of his cousin…

Luke shook himself and entered the cave slowly. All his senses were working on overload as he could hear the laboured breathing of at least one person. His eyes needed a moment to adjust to the darkened space.

Once he could see, he immediately noticed the two bodies seemingly lying intertwined with each other. But on a closer look he saw one covering the other.

Blonde curls stuck out from under the dark haired man on top of him, and Luke wasted no time in pushing the dead weight off of his cousin.

When the body was turned, Luke could only watch in shock at Bullet Benny's opened eyes. The look of amazement and fear were so clearly etched in there, Luke swiftly closed them with one hand.

Turning away from the bleeding corpse, he knelt next to Bo, who was looking up at him with the weirdest expression on his face. His eyes were feverish, and sweat poured down his pale face.

"L-Luke?" he quivered, a sob hitching in his throat.

"It's me Bo, I'm here now, it's okay…" Luke responded, taking Bo's blood-covered hand in his.

This seemed to aggravate Bo, he started shaking his head vigorously, tears coursing down his pale cheeks.

"K-killed im L-luke…" he muttered, grabbing Luke's hand so tightly Luke thought it would break.

"Killed…killer…"

Luke shook his head, staring in Bo's glazed blue eyes, "It was self-defence Bo. He was gonna kill ya."

Tears kept rolling down Bo's cheeks however, and the shame in his baby-blue eyes was almost too much for Luke to handle. He noticed the gun lying next to them, and suddenly felt the urge to hurl it across the cave.

Stroking Bo's sweat soaked hair, Luke kept on calming his distraught cousin. Praying they would be able to make their way out of here soon.

"S okay Bo, I'll fix it… I'll fix it," he murmured softly, almost seeing the adrenaline leave Bo's weakened body. His eyes seemed to loose their focus and just stared over Luke's shoulder now.

"S-so tired Luke… Sleep now."

"No!" Luke yelped, "Ya can't go ta sleep Bo. Stay awake… Please…"

But his pleas fell on deaf man's ears, cause Bo had lost his battle with consciousness, and slowly closed his eyes.

"Please, stay with me cuz…" Luke's voice broke, as tears cascaded down his cheek.

With a shaky hand Luke felt for a pulse, despair filling him when at first he couldn't feel anything. After pulling in two shaky breaths however, a faint and irregular beating could be felt, and Luke almost sagged in relief.

"Don't ya dare leave me Bo, don't ya dare…"

Luke was so focused on Bo, he didn't hear the people entering the cave at breakneck speed.

"Luke!" Two voices yelled out as they took in the gruesome sight before them. Two bodies were lying on the floor, while Luke was crouched over one of them, seemingly in mourning.

The oldest of the Duke cousins shot up at the two familiar voices and turned around to see his uncle and best friend.

When Jesse saw the tear tracks on Luke's face and Bo's still body on the cold floor, he stood stock still.

"B- Bo?" he murmured softly, while Cooter took of his hat with an unbelieving look on his face.

Luke shook his head, knowing they were coming to the wrong conclusion.

"He ain't dead…"

Jesse's head shot up, and he swiftly made his way over to Bo, who was breathing raggedly by now.

Soulful eyes landed on Luke, and Jesse noticed the boy was a wreck. With his split lip, shirtless body and overcast eyes, Luke looked to be walking on his last nerves. His hands were shaking and he couldn't seem to stop staring at the people around him.

Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jesse hoped to reassure him, while he yelled to Cooter to get help for Bo.

"It's gonna be okay Luke. Jus' tell me what happened…"

Luke looked up at his uncle, as if he only recognized him now. Cause after his friends came in, his exhausted mind had formed a plan. He had no idea what had happened between Bo and Benny, but he was damned if he let his little cousin go to jail for killing scum like Benny.

Now, as he looked up at his uncle, he knew what to do.

"I killed Benny uncle Jesse…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The sharp intake of breath told Luke Jesse was shocked at his confession. Better from him than Bo…

"They shot Bo an' I took him here ta lay low. Then I made a false trail an' caught Harry an' one of his goons. Tied them to a tree a few miles from here," here came the hard part…

"When I came back, I saw Benny holdin' his gun on Bo. Bo couldn't do anything. Me an' Benny wrestled an' I got the gun and then it jus' went off…" Luke ended his speech, avoiding his uncle's eyes, only to look at Bo's motionless body.

Jesse noticed this and was about to interrogate his eldest nephew some more when all hell broke loose.

Special Forces ran into the cave, guns drawn, telling everyone to put their hands up.

Noticing the two bodies, Jesse immediately took charge and asked for medical assistance.

"My nephew's hurt, we need a doctor!"

From then on, everything went so fast, Luke's head started spinning. Bo was being carried away, while Jesse was allowed to follow them. Luke wanted to follow too, but was held back by an angry looking officer.

"You wanna tell me what happened here boy?" he asked, no kindness in his voice what so ever.

"I killed him…" Luke murmured softly.

"You have to speak up boy, I didn't hear you," the man told him harshly.

'God I miss Roscoe an' Enos,' Luke thought.

"I killed Benny Black…"


	8. Take me away

_**A/N Howdy folks! I know, it's been a while, but I'm still here... First of all, I'm very sorry it took me so long to update, but in between work and ehhh work, I got a little stuck with my storyline... But, as you can see, here I am again, back with another chapter, and hopefully the next one will come soon! **_

_**Anyways, let's get on with the story once more, alright? Enjoy! ;-)**_

8

**Folks, if y'all haven't noticed, things are gettin' tricky right 'bout now. Ol' Bo is fightin for his life on that stretcher over there, while Luke jus' told an officer he was the one who killed Benny in self-defense, instead of Bo… Are y'all still followin'? Good, cause I ain't gettin' it anymore…**

_Outside of the cave_

Jesse and Cooter were standing next to the stretcher carrying a wounded Bo. Jesse held his hand, while the men around him were bustling with activity.

A few officers had found Harry's goon tied to a tree a mile from the cave. Harry however, was nowhere to be seen.

Jesse didn't want to think about that loose end now, though. His main concern were his two nephews. Bo, who was being hooked to an IV while blood was slowly flowing in an exposed vein in his left arm, seemed to be in a deep sleep, while people around him were busy keeping him alive long enough for the ambulance to get there.

Worry lines marred the older Duke's face while he watched the young man fight for his life. With his attention elsewhere he never noticed the people coming out of the cave until Cooter's outraged yell made his sad blue eyes seek the thing Cooter saw.

"Luke!"

The word seemed to blast through the woods, as the young man's head shot up, guilty blue eyes finding his uncle.

The handcuffs scraping his wrists were clearly visible as he held his hands stiffly in front of him.

"No talking to the prisoner," the officer guiding Luke barked out.

Luke just bowed his head again. He had seen Bo, and he knew they would take care of him. He just prayed his cousin would live, nothing else mattered right now. So he let them lead him away, let them shove him in a squad car.

Somehow, his brain didn't seem to be working right, cause instead of planning his next steps, all he could think of was the blood on his hands, and if he would be allowed to wash them in jail…

Hearing a sound next to him, he looked up through the window. Glazed eyes finding his uncle's worried ones.

"We'll git ya out Luke. Everythin 'll be alright…"

Luke just shook his head, not wanting to think about that now. Hearing the car start, he quickly said what he had on his mind,

"Take care of Bo… I'll be alright."

Seeing the conviction in Luke's eyes, Jesse could only nod his head, as the car started moving, taking away his eldest nephew.

"I'll take care of both of ya…" he murmured softly, determination filling him as he made his way to the car, ready to follow the ambulance which had arrived, carrying his youngest charge.

And within seconds the scene was cleared. Nothing but birds could be heard as the blood red afternoon sun shone its warming rays down on the old Indian cave.

There were no signs that just an hour ago, something horrible had happened here. Only the flecks of blood, and the police-ribbon were the silent witnesses to that event.

A cracking branch broke through the silence. Booted feet crunched the sand beneath them. A man in a black suit slowly walked into the cave.

His fierce eyes burned with hatred as he softly fingered the blood caking the cave-floor. Picking up a piece of cloth from the same floor, he fingered it for a second before crushing it in his weathered hand.

His stony face twisted into a face full of hate as the dark scratchy voice resounded through the small cave.

"I'll get them for this son… I'll get them…"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

_Tri-county Hospital_

After three hours of pacing, Jesse Duke had had enough of it. Patting Daisy's knee he made his way towards the nurse on duty.

"Excuse me miss? Can someone tell me somethin bout my nephew?" he asked nicely, holding on to his last nerve.

The young girl seemed genuinely concerned, and looked through some files before asking for a name.

"Bo Duke, miss. He was brought in three hours ago…"

Her beautiful face turned into a frown as she seemed to find the file she was looking for.

"I'm sorry, they're still workin on him sir. But a doctor will come see ya as soon as they's done… I'm real sorry…"

Jesse smiled slightly, touched by the girl's concern.

"Thanks…" he murmured before making his way over to his niece and friend again.

They both looked up expectantly, and their faces fell just as fast when Jesse shook his head.

"It's been three hours!" Daisy exclaimed, tears coursing down her cheeks. The shock had been big when she got the call telling her Luke had been arrested and Bo had been shot. She had dropped the two beers she was about to serve, and made a bee-line for her jeep. Within twenty minutes she had reached Tri-county. Only to find her uncle and Cooter waiting miserably.

So she had joined them, and now the three were still waiting just as miserably.

The moment Daisy stood to get something to drink, however, a familiar doctor made his way over to them.

"Jesse, Daisy," pause, "Cooter…"

"Amos?" Jesse was surprised to see the old family doctor here. He didn't know he had been working on Bo…

"Don't worry Jesse. When I heard about Bo, I asked if I could be the one ta tell ya how he is. It's always better ta hear from an old friend, right?" he said in his easygoing, friendly manner.

Jesse nodded, tears pooling in his eyes. He just wanted to know…

"Well, as ya know Bo lost a lot of blood. Luckily nothing vital was hit, but somehow Bo's spleen did get nicked. That's why he was bleedin so much. We had to remove it, but I'm sorry ta tell ya that Bo had already lost a lot of blood…"

The doc paused for a moment, hoping the family would take his next comment well.

"Jesse, Bo slipped into a coma…"

As he expected all three stood just a bit closer together, huddling around the man in the middle. Daisy buried her head in her uncle's shoulder as Cooter put a firm but gentle hand on Jesse's other shoulder, while Jesse just gripped his red hat a little tighter. His eyes spoke volumes however, and Amos Appleby knew he wanted to know more.

"He can wake up any moment… But there's also a chance he won't wake up at all. I just can't tell ya yet Jesse. Ya know I would if I could," Amos ended, his eyes full of understanding.

Jesse nodded. Right now, there was only one thing he wanted, and that was also one thing he couldn't get. So for now, he would settle for what was possible.

"Can we see him?" he asked in a grave voice.

Doc Appleby nodded, "I'll take ya to him, but for now family only…" he looked at the mechanic in an apologising way.

Cooter just nodded, and turned to the two Dukes, "I'll call the sheriffs office an' see if I can find me some information bout Lukas."

Jesse turned his eyes up, glad that they had a good friend like Cooter by there side.

"Thanks Cooter," was the only thing he said, but Cooter understood what emotions where behind that one look.

After Cooter leaving, two Dukes where left standing in front of a closed hospital door. Amos had already left them alone, so they could do what they needed in their own time.

Daisy hung back a little, while Jesse was anxious to get inside.

"You comin' Daisy?"

Shaking her brown curls, a few tears flew around.

"I ain't sure if I can do this uncle Jesse… What if… What if Bo…" sinking down on the floor she put her head in her hands, "I can't even think about it!"

"Then don't," was the short answer she got. The calloused hand stroking her hair calmed her however.

"We's Dukes, an' Dukes always git back on their feet. Just remember that sweetie."

Nodding vigorously, Daisy wiped her face, her shoulders straightening a little.

"That's my girl, now wanna come in with me?"

"You go first uncle Jesse, I'm gonna wash up a little. Don't want Bo seein' me like this…" she answered before hurrying towards the nearest restroom.

Opening the door to the dreaded room, Jesse knew what he would find, but was still shocked when the sight met his eyes.

Bo was hooked up to various machines, needles entering his body, giving him much needed fluids and blood. His face however, was as white as the sheet he lay under, and the bags under his eyes gave his comatose state away.

Sitting down next to him, Jesse grabbed his hand and prayed…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The slight gasp behind him alerted him someone else had entered.

"Ow uncle Jesse…" came the ragged breath from his niece a second later.

"He's just sleepin… He'll wake up any minute now, so he can help us figure out how ta git Luke out of jail… You just wait…"

Daisy sat down beside her uncle and put her own hand on top of the two already resting on the bed.

**While the Dukes were keepin' a vigil next ta Bo's bed, Cooter was on a mission of his own. An' he was succeedin', cause he already knew Luke would be on trial a day after tamorrow, with non other than Judge Noose as the honourable judge…  
An folks, he didn't git that name because of his smelly feet…**


	9. The real Duke luck

_**A/N I know... (I ain't even ducking for them tomatoes...) I missed my deadline! Well, I'll hafta learn to live with that one. I just hope this chapter will satisfy y'all, cause its a bit longer than usual. So with lots of sorry's, I'll crawl back behind my little pc and write some more... ;-)  
Anyways, enjoy!**_

9

The clanking of Roscoe's keys coming from the office outside his cell, roused Luke from an un-fitful sleep. Opening his weary eyes, he ran his hand over them, feeling the bruises he could not see, but definitely feel.

He sat up on the small cot, wrapping the blanket around him. Ever since he was brought in this afternoon he felt cold and couldn't seem to get warm. The image of his cousin lying in his own blood was imprinted on his brain, and every time he closed his eyes he saw the shame-filled, fevered eyes looking up at him. And each and every time he knew he was doing the right thing.

The few times his mind worked rationally, he figured Bo would have gotten away with self defence. But still… The look his baby cousin had in his eyes when Luke had found him, was still giving Luke the shivers. The guilt and shame in there, were emotions Luke wanted to spare his cousin in the near future. So now, when his fuzzy mind let him think logically, he reasoned he wouldn't be found guilty of murder… It would still be self-defence right?

A slight cough, drew him out of his thoughts, and he saw a very nervous Roscoe standing in front of his cell, paper in his hands.

"Err, Luke… I's afraid I got some news bout yur trial… They set it for day after tomorrow."

Luke swallowed. Even though he knew he wouldn't be convicted, a trial still gave him the shivers. There were still possibilities… Roscoe's next words however seemed to freeze every blood cell in his body.

"Judge Noose 'll be the judge in this case… I'm sorry Luke…" Roscoe said. He wanted the boy behind bars, but not in the way Judge Noose would do it. The old crow seemed to be living in the old southern times, and was infamous for sending convicted men to death row…

Shaking his head, Roscoe rationalized. Luke acted in self-defence. No one would convict someone who acted in self-defence.

"Roscoe!"

This made the older sheriff jump, "Tiddly tuddly, don't scare me like that now! What?"

"I asked ya if I can talk ta my family, I really wanna know how Bo's doin…" Luke asked for the second time. He knew all about judge Noose, but he wasn't going to let that guy get to him. It had been self-defence… He couldn't do anything about it now, so he only wanted to know how his little cousin was doing.

"You already got your phone call, but I can tell ya, Cooter just called, an' told me Bo's in a coma right now… But I bet ya he's gonna wake up soon," Roscoe added, hoping he could lift Luke's spirits a little.

Seeing how the boy slumped on the cot, he knew he failed. But there was nothing to be done right now, so why not go back to work?

"I'll find ya somethin ta eat, now you stay quiet, or Flash 'll have yur dinner… Khew khew" Roscoe mumbled as he left the cell, stumbling over his own feet.

Luke just sat down, hands covering his face. How did they get in this mess? Laying down on the cot again, he only knew he had to find himself a way out of it. Cause Bo needed the family support right now. Heck he also needed Luke's support, but he was stuck in this tiny cell… And he had to stay here, cause if he escaped, the judge would think he was guilty of something worse than shooting Benny in self-defence. All he could do right now was wait. So that was what Luke Duke did. He waited…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Meanwhile in the hospital_

"Judge Noose?!" Jesse exclaimed, receiving angry glares from some of the nurses at the nurses station.

"That ole rattlesnake even convicted Kyle Valenti for armed robbery, when all the man did was pick up the gun Roscoe dropped!"

Pacing down the floor, Jesse's frown was getting deeper as Daisy turned to Cooter.

"He'll see it was self-defence, right?" she asked, hope sparkling in her teary eyes.

Cooter was about to answer when Jesse's mumbled words reached his ears. His mouth fell open as the meaning behind those words registered in his brain.

"Say what?"

Jesse coughed, standing completely still now. His expression serious and pondering.

"I said… If it was…"

Daisy's unbelieving eyes turned to her uncle, anger and fierce protection blazing in them.

"How can you say that?! Ya know Luke would never kill someone in cold blood, and if he did, he wouldn't lie about it-"

"Wouldn't he?" Jesse interrupted his niece's rant, "If he could save someone else with it?" he continued in a monotone voice. Remembering what he had seen in Luke's eyes the moment he had told him about killing Benny.

"But… I… Bo?" Daisy's anger left her suddenly, understanding finding its way into her heart.

"I think Bo 'll have a lot of answers for us when he wakes up…"

Cooter nodded knowingly, glad to hear Jesse use the word when, and not if.  
He knew those boys long enough to know they would do anything for each other. Even taking the blame for a murder one of them didn't even commit, well at least not intentionally.

Clapping the Duke patriarch on the shoulder, Cooter found a new sense of hope rising within him, and he hoped he could pass it on to the worried family standing next to him.

"Well, then we jus' hafta wait till our buddy wakes up right? Luke ain't goin anywhere right now, so why don't we see if ole Bo is doin any better?"

Smiling a small smile, Daisy couldn't help but still feel the dread in her stomach. Bo wasn't near waking up, and Luke was stuck in jail. Well at least she knew her cousins were safe. Turning around she followed Jesse to Bo's room, seeing Cooter gesturing wildly towards the nurse, she knew he would follow them soon…

**One Duke in jail, one in a hospital bed and the rest worryin' about them. Ya wouldn't think they could git into more trouble now, wouldn't ya?**

_Hazzard County Jail_

Darkness surrounded him, but Luke still had his eyes wide open. Staring at the ceiling he let the days events pass, again… Trying to find a moment where he could have done something different, but he couldn't find it. There would still be that gunshot, braking through the air, there would still be the blood staining his cousin. And there would still be a body in that cave. In his dreams however, it was Bo lying there, lifeless eyes staring unseeingly at him. His mouth however moved. Ghostly whispers leaving it, accusing and full of hatred…

'Where were you… You left me… left me to die…'

Luke had woken up in a cold sweat, vowing himself he wouldn't go to sleep again. So here he lay, turning to his side he heard the creaking of the crummy cot. Another sound however, made him lie as still as possible. It sounded like a window being cracked open.

Lying completely still, Luke let his ears tell him what was going on. The window was slowly being slid open, a figure with heavy boots stepping through.

Footsteps made their way towards the cell Luke was currently in. As they came closer, Luke tensed. It had to be someone who wanted to break him out. Didn't they understand he was going to get out legally?

Hearing the key turn in the lock slowly he was about to turn around, when another sound made itself known to him. A slight click, barely noticeable, but it was there. He had heard that sound too many times to count, and especially after today, he would never forget the sound of a hammer being cocked.

The realization that whoever was here, was not about to break him out, but kill him, was like a bucket of cold water being thrown over him.

The footsteps had stopped, the movement of an arm meant that the person was trying to aim in the darkness of the cell.

Eliciting a large yell, Luke jumped up, startling the person holding the gun. The silver handgun shown in the newly appeared moonlight before Luke sent it flying across the small cell. As he looked up, the same moon shone its pale blue light on the persons face, illuminating Harry Black's rage-filled eyes as well as his bared teeth.

"You killed my boy… Now yur goin ta be sorry!" he growled before leaping for his gun.

Seeing the open cell door, Luke did the only thing he could think of, he ran for it…

He didn't even hear the gunshot following him, only felt it fly right by his arm, leaving a slight burning sensation. The next minutes were a blur as Luke felt like he flew over Hazzards abandoned streets. The footsteps behind him let him know Harry was still there. But he also knew he was younger and fitter, so he demanded his body to go harder, his legs burning, but he held on.

At some point he didn't even feel them anymore, just continued to run. The steady rhythm soothing him, the silence around him relaxing his high strung nerves.

Even though he didn't hear Harry behind him anymore, he kept a steady pace, slowing down just a little bit as his eyes frantically searched for a place to hide for the night.

Seeing Milson's rundown shack he knew he had found the place where he could hide, for now…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Yeah thanks…"

Hanging up the phone in the hospital Cooter turned around, his face betraying the worry which had settled in during that conversation.

Jesse had felt better this morning. Bo had made it through the night and the doctors were expecting him to wake up real soon now… If he would just open those darn eyes…

But seeing Cooter Davenport looking that miserable, he knew something had happened with his other nephew, and it wasn't good.

"What happened Cooter?"

Rubbing a hand over his face, Cooter wondered how he would break the news he didn't want to break. He didn't even want to believe it himself.

"I'm sorry uncle Jesse, but it looks like Luke escaped last night… Special Forces are helpin Hazzard Police with the search…"

Sitting down heavily, Jesse tried to understand what had gotten in his eldest's mind. Luke had to have known he wouldn't be convicted for self-defence. Had he heard about the judge and gotten scared?

"Uncle Jesse?" Cooter asked in such a low tone, Jesse knew there was more. Looking up, he motioned for Cooter to continue.

"They also found some blood… I don't think he hurt himself brakin himself outta jail, so…"

"Hardware Harry…" Jesse mumbled, immediately understanding why and how Luke had gotten out.

"So now not only the cops are huntin' him, but Harry's tryin' ta settle a score too. And they's all after my boy…"

"We gotta tell this to the police, cause right now, they's just as dangerous to him as Harry is. Roscoe told me they was allowed to shoot an' kill!"

Making his way out of the waiting room Jesse told Cooter to tell Daisy that she had to stay with Bo, and that they was about to straighten this entire mess…

**I sure hope Jesse can fix all o' this, but somehow I think them Dukes have gotten themselves in a mess not even good ole Jesse can get them out of. Don't go to the fridge now, cause things are about to get interestin…**


	10. Ups and downs

_**A/N Will sorry help?? lol, I guess I have to start by saying: SORRY!! Sorry for taking so long to update, but my life revolves around sleep, eat and work right now... And my writersblock isn't helping me any either. It took me really long to figure out what I wanted with this chapter, but I hope I'm on my way again. Ideas are always welcome by the way! Hint, hint...  
Anyways, let's get on to the story!**_

10

Luke cringed as he tied the piece of cloth around his bleeding arm. He hadn't felt the pain as he was running, but after entering the old shack, he had noticed the blood staining his shirt. And that was when the stabbing pain had made itself known, probably thanks to the adrenaline wearing off.

Leaning his head against the old wood, Luke rested his eyes. Just when he thought they couldn't get into more trouble…

Harry would be after him, because he thought he had killed his only son. Somehow Luke was glad he was after hím and not Bo.

Bo… Thinking about him made his heart hurt. Deep inside he could still feel him, hanging on to life with everything he got. That reassured Luke a little, knowing that connection was still there was important to him. He would hang on to that feeling, and gain strength from it. He was afraid he was gonna need it…

Taking in his surroundings he was glad Milson kept an old cot in his shack, that along with some equipment and a few chairs, wasn't very much.

Luke knew he couldn't stay here long, without food or other supplies, he wouldn't last long.

Remembering the way he had ran from jail, the authorities would probably be searching for him as well, and not with good intentions.

"Great, now I'm runnin from everybody…" Luke mumbled to himself.

"Gotta think of a plan…" were the words he spoke to himself as he rested his tired body on the dusty cot, "Just gonna close my eyes for a minute…"

Within seconds the Duke boy was fast asleep, plans of escape far from his mind.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"You can talk all you want mister Duke, but all we found was a drop of blood, probably because the prisoner hurt himself during the escape. There's no reason to believe someone chased him out of this jailcell," The agent told Jesse in a stern voice.

It was the same man who had taken Luke into custody the day before, the one who had rudely and without compassion taken away the lost boy who could only think of his wounded cousin.

Jesse couldn't help it. He was a law abiding citizen, and he respected the law, but people like agent Pierce would never earn his respect. Treating people like they were things was something the Duke patriarch didn't take lightly, as agent Pierce would soon find out…

"Now you listen to me young man, my cousin wouldn't hurt a fly, an' even if he did, it woulda been self defence. Would you run from jail if ya knew ya acted in self defence?" Jesse paused a minute, seeing the pondering look on the agents face, "I didn't think so…"

A second later however, the determined look was back on the man's face as he sternly explained they had arrested Luke for murder, and that he was treated as a suspect as long as there was no other evidence.

"So we are going to look for your nephew, and hope to bring him in alive, but if he resists arrest…"

Jesse huffed as he briskly turned around, dragging Cooter out of the room they had been in.

"These clowns have no idea what they's talkin' about, so I think we'll be on our own, again… Let's go find my boy now."

Getting in the old pick up truck, the third party of Luke searchers went on their way, praying they would be the first to find him, alive…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Chills running through his tired body were the first thing he noticed as the foreign surroundings got through his foggy brain. A sharp and burning pain in his arm made him sit upright, almost immediately regretting the motion as dizziness overwhelmed him.

With his good arm, Luke wiped the sleep from his eyes, wincing as he hit the delicate and bruised skin of his left eye.

Glancing at the sun, he could tell it was somewhere around noon, so if he was smart he had to get moving.

Harry would have found the trail by now, and it wouldn't take him long to discover the old shack on the edge of the woods. Luke sighed as he thought about how the authorities would probably be searching for him too, but for the wrong reasons…

Shaking his head to avoid thinking about all the trouble he was in, Luke managed to clear his mind and think more rational then before.

The chills he had minutes ago had been replaced by a glowing warmth, resonating from his injured arm.

"Great," the lone figure mumbled into the empty shack, "Infection…"

Retying the bandage on his arm, Luke ignored the pain and decided to clean it as soon as possible with some creek water. Swinging his feet from the cot, he felt the after-effects from the long run he had that morning. His muscles spasmed a bit, but fortunately it got better as he walked through the old shed.

His mind working overtime, Luke knew he had to act fast and think rational. What would he need?

Grabbing some cloth from the bed, he had his bandages, finding a bottle of shine, Luke was even happier, as he poured some over his aching flesh wound.

He bit his lip as the fluid cleaned the wound and burned his skin. But at least he could slow down any infection.

Taking a pair of old binoculars, Luke left the old shack, mentally thanking ole Milson for his things, Luke made his way into the woods, for the second time in two days…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_Meanwhile in the hospital_

Daisy felt like time was standing still. She had been looking at the same white wall for three hours now, and there still were 285 little tiles on it.

She was about to count them again when a slight movement in the corner of her eye got her attention. Staring intently at Bo's thumb, she could have sworn she had seen it move. When seconds went by and nothing happened, Daisy convinced herself it had been wishful thinking.

Taking Bo's limp hand in hers, she stroked his forehead softly. Sighing, she sat back in her chair, still holding Bo's hand.

This time the slight pressure on her hand wasn't missed, as Daisy's eyes flew to Bo's face, exclaiming a loud cry of joy.

"Bo?!"

As the eyelids started to flutter, Daisy Duke yelled for the doc, praying things were looking up from now on…

Tired blue eyes settled on her, and Daisy felt her heart fill with joy as the hoarse voice tried to speak.

"Shh, Bo, take it easy. The doc will be here soon,"

Bo seemed to relax at that, but something was still there in his eyes. A sadness, and worry?

"L-Luke?" he finally managed to form the word.

Rubbing his hand, Daisy knew he had to know but tried to go around it, "Luke's okay sweetie, he'll be fine once he knows you're awake…"

Shaking his head, Bo tried to clear the fuzziness there, aching to remember what had happened. As the images of Benny's lifeless eyes filled his mind, tears started forming in his baby-blue eyes. Gripping Daisy's hand harder he looked at her, expecting to find condemnation in her look. When he didn't find it he figured she didn't know yet.

"I killed im Daisy… I killed Benny Black…"

The understanding he saw next, confused him even more, but the guilt he was feeling was too much right now, as the tears flowed freely.

"Shh, it's okay sugar, we know it was self defence. It's good that you told us though, now Luke can go free…" As soon as they find him, she added in her mind. Ow please be okay Luke, Bo will need you through this…

Daisy didn't let her feelings show though, knowing Bo needed her at this moment. His eyes had closed, sleep claiming him for now. Stroking his hand, she waited for the doc to examine him, praying for the safety of the rest of her family.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

_At the same time_

The snapping branch caused Luke to freeze immediately, crouching low in the protective leaves surrounding him. When there wasn't a sound to be heard after a few minutes, Luke slowly made his way onto the abandoned dirt road.

Looking around, he noticed the silence, even the birds had stopped making their mating noises. With his experience from 'Nam, Luke knew that didn't bode well…

Feeling the searing pain in his arm however, Luke decided to move on, his eyes and ears noticing every sound or movement.

Rounding the corner of Old Ridge Road, Duke luck seemed to run out however. The moment he noticed the police car it was already too late. It thundered down the road, and immediately noticed the brunette standing half on, half off the road.

Luke turned around quickly, and cursed himself when dizziness swept over him. He ignored it, making his way back into the bushes when he heard the command being yelled, a few feet behind him.

"Freeze!"

Years of running from the law had thought Luke Duke to do what they commanded. Especially when carrying a gun…

So a second after the word was uttered, one pair of hands slowly went up, as he slowly turned around, ignoring the ache in his arm.

The young officer was the same one who had led him away from the cave, only a day before. 'Had it only been one day?' he asked himself. One day since he had held his little cousin's body, had been covered in his blood, had reassured him that everything would be alright?

Hanging his head in defeat, Luke let himself be handcuffed, again, hissing as the agent grabbed hold of his injured arm.

"That was a big mistake you made there, mister Duke," Agent Pierce sneered. He was tired of this hayseed causing a ruckus, and going against crime-lords hé was supposed to catch.

Luke recognized the man's foul mood and hoped he got a chance to explain what had happened in that jail cell.

"Look, I didn't escape from jail, alright… Harry Black came in an' tried ta kill me," he answered, hoping his sincere tone would soften the hard agent.

"Tell it to judge Noose," was the only response Luke got, as he was brought back to the cell he had abandoned the night before. And somewhere, deep inside, Luke was glad the cops found him, instead of Harry, cause right now he still had a fighting chance…

**Them Dukes never seem ta find a nice lawman, now do they? Good thing Hazzard has only two. But with those new fella's runnin' round town, things could heat up, a lot…**


	11. And it all falls down

_**A/N: What do you say? I haven't updated this one in uhm, a long while? Yur right! And I am very, very sorry! But in hot and relaxed Curacao, I have finally found me a muze to help me write this chapter. So with my apologies about the lateness of this chapter, also comes the promise of finishing this story, soon!  
Thanks to everyone who is still sticking with this story, I promise y'all, you won't be dissapointed!  
Enjoy!**_

11

**Folks, if ya hadn't noticed it, them Dukeboys are in deep trouble... After a low life crook shot up the General, an' Hardware Harry entered the story, it's been goin downhill... So now, good ole Bo is lyin in a hospital bed with an extra hole in his body, an' his cousin's been captured, again, for a murder y'all know he never committed. Friends an' neighbours, y'all know I ain't one to be negative, but I'm holdin on to my hat, cause it's probably gonna get worse before it 'll git better...**

"Suspect apprehended on Old Ridge Road, need assistance to meet me at Tri-County. Suspect is wounded."

The message was short, but it had Jesse and Cooter stiffening in their seats. The truck came to a sudden halt, as Jesse turned it expertly so they were making their way back to the hospital.

And they weren't the only ones…

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Everything in the halls of the hospital was calm and silent. Well, that is, until the entire Duke clan, followed by the Hazzard and Atlanta police force barged in. 

Nurse Rhonda watched with growing interest how the handsome dark-haired man was pushed forward. The handcuffs he was wearing seemed to cut into his wrists, as blood was slowly seeping down his arm. His other arm was being held tightly by a taller man with blackish hair and a permanent scowl on his otherwise probably handsome face.

Following them were two people who looked like they came straight of the fields. A man with a white beard and red cap, some sort of mechanic with grease all over him walked in as a pretty girl with curly chestnut hair met them there, embracing the older man as tears fell down her pretty face. 

Lastly, two cops Rhonda knew very well walked in, both their faces sombre looking. Enos spotted her and gave her a small smile and wave, which she returned, before falling into action. 

"Excuse me!" she barked at the lawman who was holding one of the Duke-boys she had once met in the Boarsnest, a couple of years ago. 

The man stopped at the tone of her voice, turning to look at her, as Luke Duke stumbled to a halt too.

"This man needs treatment, he's hurt,"

"Look lady-," Agent Pierce started, only to be cut off by Rhonda again.

"Don't ya lady me, it's nurse Rhonda, and this man is bleeding. So I suggest you take those cuffs off of him, so we can treat him," she commanded, her hands placed firmly in her sides, hoping she came over threatening enough. 

Agent Pierce sighed, noticing he was in for a fight.

"I don't know what hick town you came from, but this man is a fugitive, and if I un-cuff him he will take off the first chance he gets."

Rhonda looked at Luke's unfocused eyes and pale complexion. A slight shake of the head confirmed to her he was no risk at all. 

"Look at him, he's barely standing straight as it is. I can promise ya, this man is in no state to be running from anyone," she paused for emphasis, noticing Jesse standing close, ready to help her if necessary, "so please, un-cuff him, now…"

Pierce looked at the man who had been such a pain in his ass for the past couple of days, and seeing the pale skin, sweat drops and bloodied arm, he made a decision. 

"Fine, but he will be guarded every minute of his treatment," he murmured, taking out the key to the handcuffs, and taking them off of Luke's wrists. 

With the circulation back in his wounded arm, Luke Duke also experienced an excruciating pain, causing him to moan out loud. 

This alerted Rhonda to guide him to a gurney in the ER, calling for a doctor to help her take care of one of the nicest men she had ever met. A man she could never suspect of killing any other being, criminal or not…

So, that was why, five minutes later, Jesse Duke, Daisy, Enos and Agent Pierce were all standing or sitting in the waiting room. Cooter had gotten a ride from Roscoe, who had complained about there being no good lawmen to protect the town, so he would sacrifice himself to go back to town, where the only hassle was the town gossip about Hardware Harry and the Dukeboys. 

Jesse, Daisy were sitting in a couple of loungechairs, while agent Pierce was being occupied by Enos, who in his brutal honesty, was questioning the poor agent for all he was worth. As Daisy looked over to where Enos was telling Agent Pierce about the crimes Bullet Benny had committed in Hazzard, she slowly bent over towards her uncle. 

"Uncle Jesse?" She whispered so that no one would overhear.

Jesse had already noticed her tense posture ever since they had met up in the ER, and ever since she had told him Bo had been awake and coherent. He bent towards her and put a hand on her knee as to tell her to continue. 

"When Bo was awake... He ehm, he told me he killed Bullet Benny..." Daisy spoke so fast Jesse had to let it sink in for a minute to understand it. 

His eyes widened a bit, but not much. Somewhere deep down, he already knew this. Luke would not have reacted like he did if there wasn´t more. So now he knew what that was... His youngest, who would never hurt a fly in his life, had, obviously unintentionally, killed another human being in self-defence... 

As he looked at Daisy´s worried eyes, his mind was working overtime to figure out what to do. If they told Pierce that it was actually Bo who did it, they could arrest his youngest nephew, seeing as there had been no witnesses to what happened. If they didn´t say anything, Luke would end up in jail for sure, or worse...

"What are we gonna do uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked, clearly distraught about the last days events, "If they arrest Bo, he ain´t gonna survive it... But if Luke gets judge Noose..." Her beautiful eyes looked down as Jesse patted her leg softly and put his hand on her chin so that she would look up. 

"For now, we wait. Only until Bo wakes up properly an' he can tell us the entire story. Listen ta me Daisygirl, everythin' s gonna be awright..." he ended, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, silently praying for both his nephews...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Sleep claimed him, but only superficially. Underneath the blanket of grey, images of a gun, blood and stale grey eyes followed him. Branches slammed in his face and against his arms as he feels like he is running through the darkness of the woods. Yet, his legs aren´t carrying him... He is floating, upwards, higher and higher...

A bright light made him squint as he slowly opened his eyes, only to notice that he was lying in a hospital-bed, with one arm chained to the bed rail... 

"Huh…" was the only word that escaped his parched mouth. He blinked as his head was slowly lifted and a straw was gently placed into his mouth. The soft hands and the chestnut brown hair calmed him, cause he knew his family was here now.

That calmness was roughly shaken, when his uncle's voice came from somewhere besides him, calmly asking him for an explanation… 

"Now you gonna tell us what happened son, or am I gonna have ta pull it out of ya?" the old man demanded. 

Jesse knew he had to get Luke to talk now, when he was still drowsy enough to keep his walls down, and even though he wanted to hug the boy, he knew he had to be tough now.  
And he was right, cause tears filled Luke´s eyes almost immediately. 

"I'm sorry uncle Jesse…" he whispered, turning a little in the bed, causing the chain on his good arm to rattle in the silent room. 

"I just wanted ta protect im, I never meant for this ta happen… But he was hurt, an' I didn't know what else ta do… It wasn't his fault… So I took the blame…" he swallowed, blocking the tears that threatened to fall. He was just so tired of it all…

The hand of his uncle on his good shoulder calmed him, and soon he gave in to the sleep that he craved so much after these days filled with fear and pain. 

"It's alright Lukas, it's alright, you jus sleep now…" Jesse whispered, as he noticed Luke's eyes closing the second he said it. Turning towards Daisy, he saw the tears in her eyes, tears for her cousins, who had been through a lot these past few days. Standing slowly, the two Dukes came to the same decision.

"We gotta tell agent Pierce…"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

After an hour of talking to one of the most stubborn people he had met in his life, Jesse Duke felt exhausted. Agent Pierce seemed like a pit-bull who had grabbed hold of Luke's leg and was determined to hold on. 

But after an hour of explaining to him how they believed that Bo shot Benny in self defence, they had somehow planted the seed of doubt in agent Pierce's mind, and eventually he promised to unchain Luke from the bed. While the guard was to stay at his door, agent Pierce would question Bo.

There was only one problem in this scenario, Bo was still asleep, and his doctor luckily held Pierce back from entering the door. 

So now, two Duke-boys were peacefully sleeping in separate hospital rooms. At least, that's what everyone thought.

While Daisy and Jesse had gone home for an hour to change and do some chores, one Duke-boy had woken up, and miraculously made his way out of his bed and into the deserted hallway. His mind to where he was going, was made up, and nothing was stopping him from reaching his goal...

In another room, one Duke-boy was still asleep. The monitors around him beeped slowly as his door opened. The shadow slowly made his way into the room, the grey eyes piercing the air until they found its target. A sneer came from the thin stripe posing as a mouth, as he looked at the person responsible for his son's death. 

His chest moved up and down slowly as the intruder walked closer and closer towards the hospital bed. 

The silver handgun was raised ever so slowly, an unwavering and scarred hand pointing it at the boy's head.

"This is for murdering my son," the man whispered coldly. 

A loud bang was the only sound that filled the empty hospital hallway, and after the deafening silence that followed, all hell broke loose...


	12. Now what?

_**A/N: Well, I'm back from five days of fun in the sun in Miami, and I'm all inspired to write. It helps that I have the time now, seeing that work is a little boring lately... ;-)  
So without any further useless chatter from me, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**_

12

Through the large hospital-window, a dazed Luke Duke could just make out the shadow moving over his sleeping cousin. His dulled senses suddenly turned into overload as a huge feeling of protection overwhelmed him.

Slamming open the closed door with a bang loud enough to wake up all the patients, Luke stood in the doorway for one second in complete silence as the man who had been standing over his cousin's bed sharply turned around.

As the stale grey eyes bored themselves into Luke's blue ones, the finger around the trigger moved ever so slightly.

And even though he felt dizzy from the adrenaline boost leaving his body, Luke Duke jumped the larger man without hesitation, slamming the arm holding the gun, causing the gun to swing around just as the finger that was put over it, squeezed harder.

The sharp bang echoed through the small room as the bullet bored itself into one of the walls around them, leaving Luke's ears ringing.

That was the only moment Harry needed as he slammed the boy's wounded arm hard with the silver handgun.

The pain engulfing his arm almost paralyzed him, hadn't it been for the movement he had just seen from the corner of his eyes. Bo...

Turning his attention back at the large bulk of a man before him, a fierceness he hadn't felt for long took over. Throwing his weight in it, he moved towards Harry, slamming the man into the wall, causing him to lose hold of the silver handgun, which landed on the bed before him.

Harry recovered quickly though, using his large body to turn him and Luke while struggling, making Luke the one who was caught between him and the wall. Noticing how he was now becoming the one being trapped, Luke fought harder, praying that someone had heard the commotion, cause his body started to betray him by now.

A second blow to his wounded arm made him cry out in pain, giving Harry the time to get his claw-like hand wound around his neck, squeezing the life out of the dark-haired Dukeboy.

The crushing force on his windpipe made Luke want to gag. His eyes searched the room frantically as he tried to use his legs to kick the thug's shins, while his hands were wound tightly around the man's arms, pulling with strength that he didn't have. His vision started to get blurry when another small movement in the corner of his eye caught his wavering attention. It just wasn't enough to keep him there...

And in the moment that Luke Duke lost consciousness, the room exploded with sounds and movement...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The loudness of the door being slammed open had penetrated in a world of dreams and guilt where the word 'Murderer' was written on every wall in bloody letters.

The second bang came later, but was more frightening as it sounded like the shot which had ended the life of one, and had endangered his...

Moving his fingers seemed to be no problem, but as the sounds of a struggle filled the room, the need to open his eyes got stronger.

The moment Bo Duke cracked open one eye, was the moment something heavy landed on his blanket-covered leg.

As his other eye joined the first, the blurry surroundings seemed familiar. A hospital... The movement before him though, seems unfamiliar. The shapes though...

Luke...

But the other one... It was like he knew it, but somehow he didn't want to know. Searching the back of his mind, memories were returning full force, and there was no way to stop them. Tears filled his eyes as Luke's cry of pain registered in his foggy brain. Calming himself enough to notice what was going on before him, Bo saw Hardware Harry reaching for Luke's neck, finding his target and squeezing for dear life as Luke's panicked eyes seemed to search the room for help.

And all of a sudden, all was clear to Bo. He knew what to do and how to do it. And he knew he would do it. Everything to save his cousin...

Reaching for the heavy object resting near his leg with small movements, Bo's shaking fingers found what he was looking for. Sitting up ever so slowly, ignoring the pulling of the stitches, he focused on his target.

His fingers started to squeeze the trigger when his mouth betrayed him by hoarsely calling for his enemy.

"Harry..."

The sound fell together with the door slamming open, again, revealing agent Pierce with his gun drawn, not knowing where to point it, he aimed it at the other man pointing a gun, Bo...

"Everybody, freeze!" he yelled, even though the scene seemed to be frozen already.

Harry had turned around, but didn't seem to unclench his hand from Luke's neck.

"Let 'im go..." Bo managed to whisper as his finger was still around the trigger, ignoring agent Pierce who didn't know what to do with the situation.

Icy grey eyes looked at the gun aimed at him without fear, but with a twinkle in their cold depths.

"You won't use that boy, your cousin wouldn't want you to do that, again..."

Bo's hand started to shake even more as the accusation filled his mind with flashes.

"Now you can watch your cousin die, like I saw my son die..."

That sentence, and the blue tinged look of Luke's face was enough.

The bullet slammed into the wall next to Harry, just as Pierce figured out Bo wasn't a threat anymore, and moved swiftly towards the real criminal in the room.

In the meantime, the bullet next to his ear had spooked Hardware Harry into loosening his hold on his prey, causing Luke to slide down the wall in oblivion.

To Bo, it all seemed to play in slow-motion. Pierce was now handcuffing a red faced Harry, who kept screaming for revenge for his son, and how Bo had caused the boy's demise by luring him into the entire situation in the first place.

But Bo's attention wasn't on the man who's son he had accidentally shot. Those dreams would haunt him later. Right now, his sole focus was on the limp body of his cousin, lying against the wall with nobody even paying him attention.

"Luke!" Bo tried to shout, but with his hoarse throat it almost came out a whisper. But it was loud enough for Agent Pierce to look from a recently subdued Harry towards the man he had considered a cold criminal, who was currently not looking like there was any life left in him.

"I need a doctor!" he yelled towards the nurses who by now were crowding at the door.

And like a movie being played, things started to speed up for Bo. As he tried to get out of his confinement, ignoring the pain of his stitches pulling against the movement, he somehow made his way out of the bed on shaky legs, almost collapsing straight away, but near Luke now.

"Luke," he whispered, putting a shaky hand on his cousin's still face, rubbing it to get a reaction from the puppet-like body in front of him.

Tears filled his eyes as he noticed the bruises on his cousin's face and the blue tinged lips, where no breath seemed to enter.

The next moment a hand was being put on his shoulder as a doctor softly pushed him away from his cousin.

"I need a gurney here, he's not breathing!" the man started commanding as Bo was slowly being pulled to his feet and put back into bed by two nurses.

And just as fast as it all happened, his room was empty again. Well, almost. Nurse Rhonda was standing next to his bed as she put his blankets back in order, while checking his vitals for any abnormalities.

"Yur real lucky, ya know that, yur stitches are still in place and if ya keep takin' yur medication for that spleen removal, you'll be up in no time," she said, worried at the tears dripping from Bo's closed eyelids.

"What's wrong sugar?" she asked, hoping to get him to talk. Hospital rumour had already reached her, and by now, she knew almost everything about the Dukes and their entire history.

Shaking his head, Bo felt like the weight on his heart was getting bigger and bigger. Now, he wasn't only a murderer, but he had also caused his cousin's possible death...

"My cousin..." he murmured, wanting, no needing to know what was happening now.

Laying a soft hand on the boy's shaking shoulder, Rhonda knew what he wanted to know.

"They's gonna get him back sugar, an' everything 'll be alright," she told him, knowing she wasn't supposed to give him hope, but knowing that he needed it.

"I'll go see right now, okay?" she said, praying she could be the one bringing good news.

As Bo nodded slightly, sleep already claimed him again, cause his eyes fell closed while asking her one last thing.

"You'll make sure... he'll be alright... right?" he murmured.

Caressing his soft blond hair, she let the boy fall into a deep sleep, while she would check on the dark-haired Duke, whom she had seen while they wheeled him away.

She hoped she hadn't deemed herself a liar...

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-


End file.
